Saturday, March 3 marks the return of the much beloved series, The Essentials on Turner Classic Movies (TCM). New to this year’s show is Drew Barrymore who replaces Alec Baldwin for the 12th season as co-host to the venerable Robert Osborne. Together the pair will be providing introductions to the greatest classic films considered essential must sees for the true cinema fanatic. The latest season of TCM’s long running series, The Essentials will premier Saturday, March 3 with host Robert Osborne. The premier will feature a brand new co-host, Drew Barrymore and one of Billy Wilder’s best loved comedies, Some Like It Hot. This year’s picks include many films new to the series.
It seems like forever, but really it’s been just four years since Alec Baldwin joined Robert Osborne as the co-host to the classic film network’s weekly series, The Essentials. From the moment the incredibly handsome actor joined the show he became an integral part of the weekly showcase, providing as much valuable and entertaining commentary as Osborne himself. In fact, it was Baldwin’s palpable passion for the history of cinema and his ability to communicate that love to a television audience that garnered him the enviable role as the first repeat host in the show’s history.
Before Baldwin there had been a series of individuals filling the seat opposite the congenial face of TCM, including actresses Carrie Fisher and Rose McGowan, and before them there was film critic Molly Haskell. Before that even Robert Osborne wasn’t a part of the show. Instead, year after year the show featured a different well-known “A” list director (Sydney Pollack, Peter Bogdanovich, Rob Reiner) who fulfilled the duty of introducing audiences to a vast array of the best of the best classic cinema has to offer.
It will be interesting to see how Barrymore fares as she follows in the footsteps of her impressive predecessors when she takes the chair opposite Osborne. Each week she will help introduce a hand-picked selection and offer commentary on its cultural relevance and what makes it a timeless, must-see movie. Being a seasoned actress, as well as a member of a Hollywood dynasty (she is the granddaughter of John, and grand-niece of Ethel and Lionel) certainly affords her a qualified pedigree, but most importantly she is a huge fan of classic films. That promises to be a winning combination.
The 12th season of TCM’s The Essentials showcase is set to launch March 3 with Billy Wilder’s classic comedy farce Some Like It Hot, starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe. Other movies selected by Barrymore and Osborne include The Razor’s Edge, Alice Adams, The Goodbye Girl, and the silent classic Sunrise. For a complete schedule use the image at the top of the page to go to the official TCM website. I encourage you to check it out - it’s pretty cool!